FILE - US president's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (C) speaks as US businessman Jared Kushner (L) and his wife Ivanka Trump look on, during a gathering in Tel Aviv. AFP
The visit is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to preserve the Gaza peace deal, following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Sunday that killed at least 45 Palestinians in a blatant violation of the ceasefire.
According to Axios, Witkoff and Kushner will focus on several key objectives during their visit. These include stabilizing the ceasefire to allow progress to the next stage of the agreement, continuing efforts to recover and return the bodies of deceased captives, and coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The envoys will also work on plans to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza to help maintain security and support the implementation of the ceasefire on the ground.
Witkoff and Kushner are developing proposals for the construction of “New Rafah,” envisioned as a model city for a demilitarized Gaza no longer under Hamas control. They are also working on a plan to disarm the Palestinian armed groups and demilitarize the territory.
On Sunday, the Israeli occupation army said it had resumed enforcement of the ceasefire hours after launching nearly 100 airstrikes across the territory. Gaza’s Civil Defence agency reported at least 45 deaths in the deadliest escalation since the truce began nine days earlier.
Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by targeting its troops in Rafah. However, Hamas’ military wing denied involvement, saying it remained committed to the truce.
“We are not aware of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area,” the group said, noting that those zones were under Israeli control and that communication with local units had been cut off.
Despite the flare-up, President Donald Trump insisted the ceasefire remained intact.
“Yeah, it is,” Trump told reporters when asked if the truce was still holding. He suggested that any violations were likely the work of “some rebels within” Hamas.
“We want to make sure it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas — handled toughly, but properly,” he added.
US officials said maintaining the ceasefire is essential to the success of what Trump has described as one of his administration’s major diplomatic achievements.
“The next 30 days are going to be critical,” one official told Axios. “We are now in charge of what’s going on in Gaza when it comes to the implementation of the deal. We are going to be calling the shots.”
The US is also supporting a joint European and UN Security Council initiative to create a multinational stabilization force in Gaza, expected to be led by Egypt, according to a Guardian report published Friday.
The proposed force would operate under a UN mandate similar to international missions in Haiti, aiming to curb armed groups without constituting a full UN peacekeeping operation.
Diplomats said Turkey, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan are being considered as possible troop contributors, while Britain has sent advisers to a US-run coordination cell in Israel overseeing the second phase of Trump’s 20-point Gaza reconstruction plan.
The next stage of implementation will test whether Gaza can be stabilized and rebuilt sustainably, a senior US official told Axios.
“Now the real work begins,” the official said. “We need people who know how to run a municipality, how to build and operate infrastructure. It’s a huge challenge.”
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